Christmas around the world

how we live — By Bob Riel on December 22, 2006 at 4:30 pm

Monday is Christmas and many people are getting ready to enjoy a long holiday weekend. So it seems like a good time to take a look at a few of the different Christmas traditions from around the world. These examples are excerpted from a wikipedia entry:

* Australia and New Zealand - In the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas occurs during the summer. This clashes with the traditional winter iconography, resulting in images such as a fur-coated Santa Claus surfing in for a turkey barbecue on Australia’s Bondi Beach. New Zealanders also commonly celebrate Christmas at the beach, coinciding with the vibrant red flowering of the coastal Pohutukawa or “New Zealand Christmas Tree”.

* Mexico – Mexico’s Christmas traditions are centered on posadas. Over a nine day period, groups of townspeople go from door to door, in a fashion reminiscent of visitors to the baby Jesus, and are periodically called inside homes to participate in the breaking of a gift-filled pinata. … They put shoes under the Christmas tree for the epiphany (three kings). They believe that the Three Kings will bring them a gift like they gave to baby Jesus.

* Germany – Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th resembles the Christmas of the English-speaking world. Sinterklaas, from whom the English and American Santa evolved, brings presents to every child who has been good. He wears a red bishop’s dress with a red mitre, rides a white horse over the rooftops, and is assisted by many mischievous helpers called ‘zwarte Pieten’ (black Peters)…Following Saint Nicholas Day, which is mostly for children, the actual Christmas gift-giving usually takes place on the night of Christmas eve, with gifts put under the Christmas tree after a simple meal.

* Sweden – Christmas celebrations begin with the first of Advent. Saint Lucia Day (locally known as Luciadagen) is the first major Christmas celebration before Christmas itself. As in many other countries in northern Europe, Jultomten (a version of Santa Claus mixed with old folklore) brings the presents on Christmas Eve. Almost all Swedish families celebrate Christmas on December 24 with a smorgasbord of food.

* South Korea – The only East Asian country to recognise Christmas as a public holiday. As in the West, Christian churches in Korea hold Christmas pageants and conduct special services. Non-Christian Koreans otherwise go about their daily routine on December 25 but may engage in some holiday customs such as gift-giving, sending Christmas cards, and setting up decorated trees in their homes; children, especially, appear to have embraced Santa Claus, whom they call Santa Haraboji (Grandfather Santa).

That’s a small sampling of the many ways in which people celebrate Christmas around the world. Enjoy the holiday!